Tool for adjusting rimless eyewear

ABSTRACT

A tool ( 10 ) for facilitating the adjustment of rimless eyewear ( 100 ) includes two pivotaby connected arms ( 12, 14 ) having distal and proximal ends ( 16, 18 ). The distal ends ( 16, 18 ) of the arms ( 12, 14 ) each has a gripping pad ( 22, 24 ) attached thereto. The first gripping pad ( 22 ) has a seat formed thereon to accommodate a nut, post ( 113, 114 ) or other hardware of the eyewear ( 100 ). The tool ( 10 ) is used to adjust the eyewear ( 100 ) by gripping the lens ( 102, 104 ) over and around the interface ( 113, 114 ) between the lens ( 102, 104 ) and the hardware ( 106, 108, 110 ) such that the lens ( 102, 104 ) and the interface ( 113, 114 ) are securely held in their relative positions to one another. Adjustments to the hardware ( 106, 108, 110 ) can be made without damaging the lens ( 102, 104 ) or the hardware thereon.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to earlier filed U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 60/545,568 filed Feb. 18, 2004, the contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to eyewear, such as rimlesseyewear. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tool forfacilitating the adjustment of rimless eyewear. These tools are commonlyknown as “adjusting pliers.”

Rimless eyewear is very well known in the art. Such rimless eyewearnecessitates that the hardware (e.g. temples, hinges, bridge, etc.) beattached directly to the lens using, for example, rivets, clips, postsand the like. Once the hardware is installed, there is a need to adjustvarious parts of rimless eyewear to custom fit it to the wearer. In theprior art, the rimless frames are typically gripped and twisted and bentby hand to achieve the desired location of the parts of the eyewear.Such bending and twisting places significant pressure and strain on thelens, particularly in the region where the hardware is installed. Forexample, the lens about the hardware holes is particularly susceptibleto cracks and damage during this custom adjustment of the lenses.

Therefore, there is a need to be able to effectively grip rimless frameswhile they are being adjusted to avoid damage to the hardware or thelenses. Various attempts in the prior art have tried to grip and capturethe lens itself about the hardware holes to take the pressure and strainoff of the lens in this area and improve the precision of adjustmentover simply adjusting the eyewear by hand. Typically, these prior arttools are in the form of adjusting pliers where one side of the toolincludes a plastic pad with the other side of the tool being a metalpronged fork-like structure to communicate with the lens on opposingsides of the hardware and their associated holes. However, these priorart tools cannot easily accommodate lenses of differing sizes and shapesand the metal fork-like structure can easily damage the lenses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art andprovides a greatly improved tool for facilitating the adjustment ofrimless eyewear. Specifically, the improved tool includes a pair ofresilient gripping pads that gently communicate with the rimlesshardware in the area that it is mounted to the lenses. One gripping padis preferably of a self-adjusting rocking-type that pivots about ascrew. This enables the pad to change angles to accommodate a wide rangeof lens sizes and shapes. A pair of perpendicularly opposed grooves isprovided to receive installed hardware during gripping. Theperpendicularly opposed grooves enable the lens to be gripped fromdifferent angles. The second pad also includes a pair of perpendicularlyopposed grooves to accommodate hardware but also includes a central boreto accommodate a screw, threaded post or nut during use of the tool inthe event such hardware is present on the eyewear. This second pad mayalso be of the rocking-type to provide a more customized clamping gripduring adjustment.

In view of the above, a new and novel tool for facilitating adjustmentof rimless eyewear is provided. The adjusting pliers of the presentinvention provides two pads where at least one of them can pivot toaccommodate lenses and frame hardware of different sizes and shapes. Asa result, this new tool can more effectively grip a rimless frame duringadjustment than prior art adjusting pliers by better embracing the lensin the region where the rimless hardware is attached to effectivelyavoid damage to the lens or hardware installed thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdescription, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the instantinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top close-up perspective view of the preferred embodiment ofthe gripping pads of the instant invention;

FIG. 3 is a bottom close-up perspective view of the preferred embodimentof the gripping pads of the instant invention;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a pair of rimless eyewear withvarious hardware installed thereon;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the pair of rimless eyewear of FIG.4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the instant invention gripping a lens ofthe rimless eyewear of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view through the line 6—6 of FIG. 6 showingthe instant invention gripping the lens of the rimless eyewear.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment of the eyewear adjustment tool of the instantinvention is shown generally in FIG. 1 at 10. The tool 10 has a firstarm 12 and a second arm 14. The first arm 12 has a distal end 16 a aproximal end 18 a. Similarly, the second arm 14 also has a distal end 16b and a proximal end 18 b. The arms 12, 14 are pivotably connectedtogether by a pivot pin 13 to allow the distal end 16 a of the first arm12 and the distal end 16 b of the second arm 14 to move towards eachother to a closed position and away from each other to an open position.Preferably, the arms 12, 14 of the tool 10 are pivotably connected at apoint that is aligned with the distal 16 a, 16 b and proximal 18 a, 18 bends of the arms 12, 14 to reduce lateral twisting forces as the tool 10is operated to the closed position. The use of a pivot pin 13 thatpasses through arms 12 and 14 is just one of many different structuresto pivotably connect arms 12 and 14 to each other. Other pivotconnection structures may be employed in the tool 10 of the presentinvention. Preferably the arms 12 and 14 are made of steel, but can bemade of any other suitable material for hand tools of this kind.

The proximal ends 18 a, 18 b of the tool 10 form handles in which anoptometrist or optician holds to operate the tool 10. The proximal ends18 a, 18 b of the arms 12, 14 may be coated with a rubber or plasticcoating to improve the quality and comfort of the optometrist's oroptician's grip.

Located on the facing surfaces of the proximal ends 18 a, 18 b of thearms 12, 14 are a pair of opposing leaf springs 20 a, 20 b. The leafsprings 20 a, 20 b exert outward pressure, which forces the distal ends16 a, 16 b of the arms 12, 14 apart and to the open position. Althoughleaf springs are shown, other mechanical springs could be used toachieve the desired spring-bias effect. Alternatively, springs 20 a and20 b can be omitted.

Attached to the distal end 16 a of the first arm 12 is a first grippingpad 22 with a contact surface 29 thereon. The first gripping pas 22 ispreferably mounted in a fixed position on the distal end 16 a of thefirst arm 12. Fastener 23, such as a screw, is employed to securegripping pad 22 to the distal end 16 a.

Attached to the distal end 16 b of the second arm 14 is a secondgripping pad 24 with a contact surface 31 thereon. The second grippingpad 24 is preferably pivotably mounted to the distal end 16 a of the arm14 such that the second gripping pad 24 may be pivoted approximatelyfifteen degrees forwards and backwards to facilitate an even grip on acurved surface of varying thickness such as a lens. A fastener 25, sucha screw or rivet, pivotably secures gripping pad 24 to distal end 16 b.As can be seen in FIG. 7, a gap 27 is provided within gripping pad 24 topermit it to pivot about fastener 25.

While it is preferred that gripping pad 22 is fixed and gripping pad 24is pivotably mounted, it is possible that both pads 22 and 24 are bothfixed.

Alternatively, both pads 22 and 24 can be pivotably mounted. The pads22, 24 are preferably made of a soft nylon material, but may beconstructed of any other material that is cushioning or will not damagethe lenses 102 and 104 in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The optician or optometrist operates the tool 10 by squeezing theproximal ends 18 a, 18 b of the arms 12, 14 with enough pressure toovercome the outward force exerted by the leaf springs 20 a, 20 b tocause the distal ends 16 a, 16 b of the arms 12, 14 to travel to theclosed position. Depending on the amount of force exerted by theoptician or optometrist against the proximal ends 18 a, 18 b of the tool10, he or she may control the amount of force exerted by the grippingpads 22, 24.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a close up view of the first gripping pad 22 ofthe tool 10 of the instant invention is shown. The first gripping pad 22uniquely includes a central bore which forms a seat 26, which can beclearly seen in FIG. 7. The seat 26 is designed to accommodate aretaining component of a pair of rimless eyewear described more fullybelow. Also included, are a pair of perpendicularly opposed grooves 28designed to accommodate a fastening structure of rimless eyeweardescribed more fully below. Contact surface 29 gently communicates witha lens, as will be described below.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a close up view of the second gripping pad 24of the tool 10 of the instant invention is shown. The second grippingpad 24 also includes a pair of similarly configured perpendicularlyopposed grooves 30 as the first gripping pad 22. These grooves 30 servethe same function as the grooves 28 on the first gripping pad 22.Contact surface 31 gently communicates with a lens, as will be describedbelow.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a pair of common rimless eyewear isshown generally at 100. These figures are provided in order to describethe method of using the novel tool 10 of the present invention. A pairof rimless eyewear 100 includes a left lens 102 and a right lens 104.The lenses 102, 104, which can be made of polycarbonate material orglass, for example, have corresponding inside surfaces 103 a, 103 b, andoutside surfaces 105 a, 105 b. Unlike traditional eyewear (not shown),rimless eyewear 100 lacks a frame surrounding and holding the lenses102,104. The lenses 102, 104 are connected together by a bridge wire 106with typical nose pads 113 thereon. On the other sides of the lenses102,104, opposite from the sides the bridge wire 106 is connected, are acorresponding left temple bar 108 and right temple bar 110.

Because a pair of rimless eyewear lack a traditional frame in which toattach the bridge wire 106 and temple bars 108, 110, these components106, 108, 11 10 are attached directly to the lenses 102, 104 typicallythrough a hole punched, molded or drilled through the edge of the lens102, 104. These components 106, 108, 110 may then be attached to thelens 102, 104 by a number of means, but one common means implemented isa post 112 (seen more clearly in FIG. 7) with a threaded top and nut 114threaded thereon to secure these components 106, 108, 110 to the lenses102, 104. Although the post-and-nut style means is shown, the tool ofthe instant invention can accommodate other configurations that use apost and a retaining back component such as a rivet or a notched postwith a plastic clasp.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, use of the unique tool 10 the instantinvention is shown. As can be seen, and by way of example, the tool 10is used to grip a pair of rimless eyewear 100 on the lenses 102, 104 ata point where the temple bars 108, 110 are joined. Although the figuresand description will be described in reference to the right lens 104 andright temple bar 110, this procedure is equally applicable to the jointcreated by the left temple bar 108 and the left lens 102 and the jointscreated between the bridge wire 106 and both lenses 102, 104. Thedescription is limited to a discussion of the method of gripping thejoint created by the right lens 104 and right temple bar 110 solely as amatter of convenience to the reader and to avoid redundancy.

The tool 10 is orientated so that the seat 26 of the first gripping pad22 is placed over the nut 114 of the eyewear 100. The tool 10 may thenfurther be orientated so that the grooves 28 interlock with the portionof the right temple bar 110 that may protrude onto the inside surface103 b of the lens 104. The optician or optometrist will then operate thetool 10 to the closed position to close the distal ends 18 a, 18 b andattached gripping pads 22, 24 against the right lens 104 so that thecontact surfaces 29 and 31 of the respective gripping pads 22, 24 engagethe lens 104. The groove 30 of the second gripping pad is aligned by theoptician or optometrist to mate with the portion of the right temple bar110 that may protrude onto the outside surfaces 105 b of the lens 104.

The optician or optometrist then exerts enough pressure such that thetool 10 securely holds the post 112, nut 114, and right lens 104 inrelative relation to one another. Because the seat 26 envelopes the nut114, and the grooves 28, 30 envelope the portion of the right temple bar110 that overlaps the right lens 104, the region at the lens 104immediately about the hardware, namely the post 112 and nut 114, isfirmly gripped. As a result, the right temple bar 110 may then beadjusted without fear of cracking the right lens 104. The nylon or othermaterial of the pads 22, 24 is desired so the delicate lenses 102, 104are not damaged during eyewear adjustment using the tool 10 of thepresent invention.

Although the description has been described in considerable detailregarding a certain preferred embodiment, other versions are possible.All the features disclosed in this specification (including theaccompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced byalternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose,unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly statedotherwise, each feature disclosed is one example of a generic series ofequivalent or similar features.

1. A method of adjusting rimless eyewear comprising the steps of:providing a pair of rimless eyewear including a lens, an eyewearcomponent, and an interface connecting the eyewear component to thelens; providing a tool having opposing gripping pads; placing thegripping pads over the lens and around the interface between the lensand the eyewear component such that the lens and the interface aresecurely held in their relative positions to one another by the grippingpads; adjusting to the eyewear component; and removing the gripping padsfrom the lens.